RED CROSS NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS
RED CROSS NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS
Behind every achievement of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) is its formidable network of volunteers that enables it to provide humanitarian assistance to Filipinos in need. To further boost this network, the PNRC created Project 143 (I Love You Red Cross), a volunteer recruitment project aimed to recruit at least 43 volunteers in every barangay.
Started in February 2006, the goal of Project 143 is to improve the capacity of Red Cross at the grassroots, that is, the barangay-based involvement of volunteers. “We want the local people to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Red Cross,” said PNRC chairman Richard J. Gordon. “The project will train 43 volunteers per barangay who will be educated in specific services.”
Of the 43 volunteers, the project will train nine of them in health and welfare; another nine will make up the Barangay Disaster Action Team; and 25 will become advocates of voluntary blood donation.
Aside from specialized training, the new recruits will also receive disaster management training to equip them with adequate knowledge on emergency response and preparedness, as well as data gathering, assessment and reporting.
“The disaster management training is especially important in communities prone to natural disasters,” said Gordon, who also inspired volunteerism in Subic where he served as chairman. “Through this we can prepare them to respond effectively and independently to crisis situations, so they would know what to do in case a typhoon or landslide occurs.”
Project 143 is expected to give a needed boost to the PNRC’s network of volunteers and, in turn, help improve the quality of its humanitarian work. As of May, an estimated 12,000 people had been recruited and trained by PNRC chapters across the country.
PNRC volunteers had been visible in the rehabilitation of typhoon-ravaged areas in Quezon and Aurora provinces, and towns in Leyte affected by landslides. The PNRC was also the first to come to the aid of victims of the Ultra stampede tragedy.
“The reality of giving is best exemplified in the essence of a volunteer,” said Gordon. “I have been preaching the gospel of volunteerism all over the Philippines as a way of galvanizing reform and modernization in the entire country.
“Imagine how great it would be if people begin to see volunteerism as a visible gain somehow. When one person volunteers, several would follow suit, and so on, until the spirit of volunteerism spreads like wildfire,” said Gordon.
The PNRC encourages the public to contribute to the success of Project 143 in their own barangays. For inquiries, please visit your nearest PNRC chapter or the PNRC National Headquarters on Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila. Or call their hotline at 527-0000. Or visit their website at www.redcross.org.ph.
